Self-tailing multi-sided capstan

ABSTRACT

A self-tailing, multi-sided capstan for manual or power operation is disclosed. A multi-sided capstan particularly adaptable for detachable vertical mounting on the gunwales or deck of a boat comprises a disc-like base member and a multisided web extending vertically therefrom to provide a rotating unit which may be cranked by hand or power operated to haul-in anchors or handle lines on a sailboat. The multi-sided web member preferably having two elongated sides with opposed concave end surfaces wherein the concave surface is preferably asymmetrical about any plane parallel to the disc-like base member. The neck or narrowest dimension of the web member is preferably nearer to the top of the web member than to the intersection of the web member with the base. The edges formed by the intersection of the concaved end surfaces with the flat sides of the web are only slightly rounded, thereby providing good gripping action on a line turned about the web member.

United States Patent [191 Tidwell [451 Aug. 21, 1973 [75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 254/150, 114/218 [51] Int. Cl B66d l/30 [58] Field of Search 250/150, 186, 183;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1892 French 254/183 836,444 11/1906 Goldenberg 242/96 2,642,025 6/1953 Sworlger 114/218 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 902,565 8/1962 Great Britain 242/117 Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Homsby Attorney-William S. Britt, C. Harvey Gold and David V. Trask [5 7] ABSTRACT A self-tailing, multi-sided capstan for manual or power operation is disclosed. A multi-sided capstan particularly adaptable for detachable vertical mounting on the gunwales or deck of a boat comprises a disc-like base member and a multi-sided web extending vertically therefrom to provide a rotating unit which may be cranked by hand or power operated to haul-in anchors or handle lines on a sailboat. The muIti-sided web member preferably having two elongated sides with opposed concave end surfaces wherein the concave surface is preferably asymmetrical about any plane parallel to the disc-like base member. The neck or narrowest dimension of the web member is preferably nearer to the top of the web member than to the intersection of the web member with the base. The edges formed by the intersection of the concaved end surfaces with the flat sides of the web are only slightly rounded, thereby providing good gripping action on a line turned about the web member.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F/GZ

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,551

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Arlond J. Tidwe/I BY A/ His Afforney BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Anchors for small boats, largepower launches and the like, that is, anchors weighing from to 50 pounds, are generally dropped and hauled in by hand. The effort required to haul in a to 50 pound anchor is substantial and hand-hauling of any size anchor usually results in considerable chaffing of the line and the boat gunwales.

2. Prior Art Barrel or drum capstans have long been used in the art for hauling anchors or adjusting halyards and the like on boats. Drum or barrel type capstans have a cylindrical member which generally has a height substantially greater than its length and about which a line may be wrapped and the line drawn in by rotation of the drum. It is generally necessary to take a substantial number of turns around the drum-type capstan in order to create sufficient friction between the line and the drum to haul in the line without maintaining substantial tension on the portion of the line being played off the drum.

Power driven capstans are illustrated by the patents to .Ioslin, U.S. Pat. No. 8,825 and Head, U.S. Pat. No. 2,288,276. The capstan illustrated in the patent of Head has vertically aligned ridges on the surface of the drum to increase the frictional contact between the drum and a line turned thereabout. Hand operated winches or capstans are illustrated in the patent of Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,120 and McCloud, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,299. Each of these patents describes a winch or capstan particularly designed for handling sailboat lines. These winches or capstans are designed to be turned by hand in one direction with an automatic locking mechanism to prevent rotation in the opposite direction. Both of the winch assemblies described in Richardson and McCloud, et al., relate to permanently mounted winches for handling running rigging and each requires tension to be maintained on the line being played off the drum. The winch assembly of McCloud, et al., utilizes a stowable bar for cranking the winch and provides that the bar is stowable within the winch without being mechanically detached therefrom, a desirable feature for that purpose inasmuch as the line is removed from the top of the winch when it is released.

Winches having flat, turning members, are described in U.S. Patents of Wohlberg, U.S. Pat. No. 836,444, Griswold, U.S. Pat. No. 1,784,064, and Toole, U.S. Pat. No. 743,774. Each of these patents relates to a flattuming member for retrieving a small line and stowing it on the turning member. An end of the line is secured to the turning member and as the turning member is rotated the line is drawn or wound about the turning member and stored thereon.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION To provide a self-tailing capstan which has increased friction between the capstan and a line turned thereabout.

To provide a detachable capstan assembly for use with boats.

To provide a small manual or power operated capstan, assembly that will handle unlimited lengths of line.

To provide a vertical, self-contained capstan that will handle anchor lines without substantial contact between the hull and the line.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A novel, self-tailing, multi-sided capstan assembly for use on boats and the like has now been invented. The capstan, which may be operated manually or with power means, comprises means for fastening a revolving member to a support and a revolving member comprising a base member and a multi-sided web member preferably having at least a pair of opposed concaved end surfaces wherein the curvature of the concave surface preferably is asymmetrical about any plane substantially parallel to the base member and wherein the narrowest neck portion of the web is preferably closer to the top of the web than to the intersection of the web with the base member. Handle means is provided at the top of the web for turning of the web and base member about a shaft or spindle forming an axis of rotation. The capstan is preferably mounted in a vertical position so that a line being drawn upon the web member is in a substantially horizontal orientation. Alternatively, the capstan may be mounted horizontally and it may be driven by power means through a central shaft fixed to the rotating member.

Further description of the invention may be facilitated by reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a capstan assembly of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the capstan assembly illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the capstan assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along section lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial, plan view illustrating the locking action of the capstan assembly.

FIG. 6 is a partial, sectional view of a support plate for the capstan assembly.

FIG. 7 is a partial, sectional, elevational view of hinged handle means.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the hinged handle means illustrated in FIG. 7.

A preferred embodiment of the capstan assembly of this invention is illustrated perspectively in FIG. 1. The capstan assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a circular or disc-like base member 10 to which a thin, substantially flat web member 11 is attached. The web member preferably is wider than it is high and has concave end surfaces 13 about which a line is turned. A line is shown in phantom.

The line is shown as being led onto the web portion of the capstan assembly over a pulley 14 which is attached to an elongated guide member 15 which projects beyond the rotating base 10 and when mounted on a boat, guide member 15 preferably projects over the side of the boat. The line is turned about the rotating web 11 two, three or more turns and the free end of the line is then draped over an edge of the revolving base 10 and permitted to fall freely into a storage area. Two turns of a heavy line, that is, a line wherein the diameter is greater than about one-fourth of the height of the web member, requires only two turns about the web member to provide sufiicient friction to haul-in the line when the web member is turned. Light lines of cotton, nylon, hemp and the like, that is, lines wherein the diameter is less than about one-fourth the height of the web member. generally requires three turns taken tightly about the web member to provide sufiicient friction for drawing or hauling in of the line without maintaining tension on the free end of the line as it is played off the upper portion of the web. Lines having very little friction such as the polyethylene and polypropylene lines, used for many purposes around boats, generally require about five turns of the line about the web member to provide sufficient friction for hauling-in a line with an anchor or heavy object attached without maintaining tension upon the free end of the line.

The capstan assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 is designed to rotate clockwise while hauling-in a line. The capstan assembly can be operated in counterclockwise rotation for this purpose, however, the pulley 14 is offset from the axis of rotation to provide the most efficient guiding of the line to the web member as it is rotated in a clockwise direction when viewed from the top.

As handle 16 is turned clockwise, a line properly coiled about the web member progresses over pulley l4 and comes in contact with fillet 17 which causes the line to ride upwards onto the concave end surface 18 which forces the top coil of rope up the web member as the web member is rotated. The fillet is placed near the junction of the end surface 18 and the base member 10, flaring transversely to the end surface. As the web member is rotated the force on the rope causes it to move upwards towards the smallest diameter of the web member. The edge formed by the surface 18 and one side of the web 11 is relatively sharp, that is, it is at least a square corner, and, if it is rounded to minimize chaffing of the line, it is rounded only very slightly, so that maximum gripping action is attained by the revolving web on the line turned thereabout. As the web is rotated further in a clockwise direction fillet 20 comes in contact with the line and causes the line to feed upwards onto concave surface 13. Fillets 21 and 22 are provided in the event an operator of the capstan wraps the line about the web member so that counterclockwise rotation is required for hauling-in a line. It is, of course, within the scope of the invention to provide a guide member aligned with the axis of rotation so that the capstan can be operated equally effectively in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. However, it is preferred that the pulley 14 of the guide member 15 be offset slightly in a horizontal plane so that the line feeding onto the revolving web tends to feed directly from the pulley and forms a slight angle when a flat side of the web transversely faces the elongated arm of the guide means. When viewed from above, the pulley is canted to feed a line directly from said pulley to the right of the axis of rotation of the revolving web.

Handle 16 is turned by the hand of an operator on knob 23. The length of the handle may be any desired length, however, the capstan may be effectively operated when the mechanical advantage achieved by the relation of the length of the handle to the diameter of the web is about two to one to about six to one or greater, and a particularly useful mechanical advantage of about four to one is generally preferred. Handle 16 is illustrated as being fixedly attached to a raised housing 24 of top member 25.

The revolving portion of the capstan can be driven by power means. The revolving portion can be adapted to a power driven coupling by means of a splined shaft fixedly attached to the revolving member.

Top member 25 may be considered an integral part of the web although it can be a separately formed member which is then fixedly attached to the thin web member 11. The top member 25 is generally slightly greater in width and length than the web member 11.

The base member 10 is preferably circular in shape although a base member having an elliptical, rectangular or other shape can be utilized. The circular shape of the base member 10 assists generally in guiding the rope playing off the upper portion of web member 1 l to fall into a storage area. The capstan comprising base member 10 and web 11 and top member 25 rotates about an axle or shaft 26 passing through a centrally lo cated cylindrical hole. A pin 27 is provided near the top of shaft 26 to prevent the revolving portion of the winch from slipping off the shaft. The shaft also passes through guide means 15 and is preferably fixedly attached thereto by fastening means such as pin 27. Thus, the revolving portion of the capstan rotates in reference to guide means 15. Other means of providing rotational support for the revolving portion of the capstan can, of course, be utilized. A solid-shaft could be fixedly attached to support member 28 and pass through openings in guide means 15 and base member 10. Various means of securing a shaft or axle, such as shaft 26, to the guide means or revolving member can be utilized.

Guide means 15 is held in a fixed position with reference to support 28 and lug 29 which fits against the inclined flat surface 30 of the raised portion 31 of support 28. The four inclined surfaces of support 28 permit the guide means to be held in four different positions, each from adjacent positions. Three to six inclined surfaces or vertical surfaces, if desired, can be readily utilized on support member 28 to provide a plurality of positions which'guide means 15 can assume with reference to the support 28, and consequently, to the boat. The shaft 26 passes into a hole 32 of support 28. (The relation of the shaft 26 to the base 28 is best seen in FIG. 4.)

Support plate 28 may be fastened to a boat in any convenient location. The boat surface, such as gunwale, deck or the like is preferably substantially horizontal and is preferably outboard of the boat so that guide means 15 can extend over the boat side to prevent contact between a line being handled and the boat. Support plate 28 may be fastened to a boat by screw or bolt means or various types of clamp means. The shaft 26 is preferably not fixedly attached to support plate 28 so that the capstan assembly comprising the rotating portion and the guide means may be detached from the support plate 28 merely by lifting the assembly, thereby removing shaft 26 from hole 32. FIG. 4 shows the relationship of shaft 26 to base plate 28 and further illustrates the fixed relationship between the guide means 15 and pin 27 through shaft 26.

Although shaft 26 can be fastened to support plate 28 it is advantageous to have a capstan assembly which may be detached from its operating position and stowed elsewhere in a boat. When boats such as fishing boats and the like are docked it is generally desirable to leave as little gear as possible with the boat because of the ease with which such gear is stolen. Also, it is desirable not to have any gear projecting substantially above the gunwales of the boat if the boat is to be covered by a canvas or other boat cover. Furthermore, a permanent piece of gear projecting above the gunwale of the boat interferes with the use of the boat when fishing and detracts from the appearance of a boat.

In viewing FIG. 3, the concaved nature of the end surfaces 13 and 18 may be readily observed. These curved surfaces are preferably not symmetrical about any plane parallel to the flat surface of the base member 10. The curved surface may be symmetrical about a horizontal plane (vertical capstan), however, the line does not smoothly progress up the capstan as it is rotated. The neck or narrowest dimension between the opposed and end surfaces 13 and 18 is generally closer to the top of the web member than to the base member. It is preferred to have the greatest length of the web member near the base member so that a line being turned upon the web member has a relatively small angle of incline to follow in moving up the web member towards the neck as the web member is rotated. Thus, as the web member is rotated, a line coming in contact with surface 13 or 18 comes in contact near the base 10 and as the web member is rotated and the rope tightens on the web member the rope tends to move up the web member towards the neck of the web member. As each new turn comes onto the web member, the uppermost turn is forced upwards on the web member from whence it plays off the web and is permitted to fall freely into a storage area.

If three turns are initially taken around the web member then only three turns will be present on the web member at any time. It is a unique feature of this winch assembly that as few as three turns of light cotton or nylon line is sufficient to raise an anchor of thirty pounds weight or greater without maintaining tension upon the free end of the line playing off the web member. The relatively sharp edges formed by the concave surface and the sides of the web member, such as edge 19, maintain excellent gripping action of the web member on a line taken thereabout. The concaved surfaces 18 or 13 are also described as having a lower portion of the surface, that is the surface below the neck, formed by a radius of greater length than the upper curved surface above the neck portion. Although neither the lower curved surface nor the upper curved surface of surface 18 may be a true arc, it is understood that a longer curved surface preferably exists beneath the neck than exists above the neck.

In FIG. 4, which is a sectional view along section lines 44 of FIG. 3, the pin 26 is shown in detachable relation to hole 32 of support plate 28 and shown in fixed relation to guide member through pin 27 passing through guide member 15 and shaft 26. The web 11 is shown in rotating relationship to shaft 26. A pin 27 is shown in FIG. 4 as a means of preventing the web 11 from slipping off shaft 26. Other means, such as nuts and the like, may be utilized in place of pin 27. In FIG. 5, a partial plan view of a locking means is shown wherein a vertical projection 33 projects upwardly from the guide member 15 at the opposite end from pulley 14 to accommodate a set screw 34 which engages a slight offset in the perimeter of base member 10.

Locking means for the capstan assembly of this invention is desirable. The capstan shown in the Figures herein is preferably rotated in a clockwise rotation. It may be locked so that rotation in the counterclockwise direction can be prevented. By having locking means the capstan assembly may be used as a cleat and the line taken about the capstan member may be held in any given position. The set screw 34 is loosened to permit free rotation of the base member 10 during the hauling of a line. The set screw 34 is then brought into contact with the perimeter of base member 10 and when the line is desired to be held in any position the winch assembly is generally not rotated in the opposite direction to let out line but one or two turns of the line about the web member is released and the line permitted to run freely about the web member until the line is let out to a desired position. Other locking means such as a sliding bolt, spring-loaded pin and the like may, of course, be utilized in place of the set screw illustrated herein.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the support plate 28 showing the support plate fastened to a boat gunwale 35 by bolt means 36. The vertical projection 31 preferably projects only a small distance above the usual upper surface of the boat gunwale to present the least obstruction possible to moving lines over the boat or placing canvas or other protection means over the boat.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a hinged handle assembly is illustrated for the winch assembly of this invention. The handle 16 may be hinged by pin means 37 to a housing such as housing 24 or the handle may be hinged intermediate of the end of the handle and its attachment to the top member of the web. Stowable handle means such as that shown in US. Pat. No. 3,536,299 may also be utilized.

Although the novel capstan of this invention has been described hereinabove by reference to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings, other constructions are within the scope of the invention. The web member which forms an important part of the revolving portion of the capstan has been illustrated and described hereinabove as a member projecting perpendicularly from the base member 10 with elongated opposed flat sides and narrow, concave end surfaces. This is the preferred construction, however, other structures form useful web members.

The web member requires at least two concaved surfaces, however, a three, four, five, or six sided web is useful. A three sided web having two concaved surfaces forms three curved edges for gripping a line turned about the web. The concaved surfaces of a three-sided web would have the same general shape as described hereinabove.

A four sided web having equal thickness and length is also useful so long as at least two sides had a concave surface of the shape described hereinabove. All four sides, of course, could be concave. Furthermore, a five or six sided web can be utilized so long as at least two concaved surfaces are present. For webs having an even number of sides it is preferred that the concaved surfaces be opposed and that the distance between opposed concaved surfaces be at least as great, and preferably greater than the distance between any other opposed surfaces.

A four sided web is performed and it is further preferred that the opposed concaved surfaces be substantially narrower than the flat opposed surfaces. Such a construction provides maximum gripping action on a line turned thereabout and provides a detachable capstan which is light in weight.

The capstan assembly of this invention is advantageous inasmuch as it is light in weight and relatively small. It has been found that a capstan assembly having a base diameter of about 6 inches and a top member length of about inches with a neck dimension of about 3% inches and a web height of about 2% inches, a web thickness of 52 inches and a handle length of 9 inches from the center of the top member to the end of the handle has been found effective for handling anchors of about 10 pounds to about 50 pounds in weight. Also, a capstan assembly of these dimensions can handle lines up to about three quarters of an inch in diameter with lines of that diameter requiring only two turns about the web member to provide sufficient friction for hauling-in heavy anchors or other objects. Smaller lines may be effectively used with a capstan assembly of these dimensions by taking three turns about the web member. Lines having low friction such as polypropylene, polyethylene and the like lines can be effectively used by taking about five turns of the line about the web member.

Further advantages of the capstan assembly of this invention include its operability by one person. A few turns of a line about the web member of the capstan permits the line to be hauled-in without maintaining tension on the free end of the line. The capstan assembly is detachable and is light-weight. Furthermore, the capstan assembly is readily mountable outboard of a boat so that line chaffing or hull rubbing is prevented by the guide means projecting beyond the boat side.

Although the invention has been described hereinabove by reference to specific embodiments it is not intended that the invention be solely limited thereto but to include all the variations and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A capstan comprising:

a. means for fastening a vertical revolving member to a support:

b. a vertical revolving member comprising a circular base member; a thin web member projecting substantially perpendicularly from said base member, said web member having four sides wherein at least two sides are concave surfaces wherein four curved edges are sufficiently sharp to provide traction between said web and a line turned thereabout and wherein said concave surfaces are asymmetrical about any plane parallel to said base member; and

c. means for rotating said revolving member.

2. The capstan of claim 1 wherein the means for fastening a revolving member to a support comprises means for detachably supporting said capstan in a substantially vertical position.

3. The capstan of claim 1 wherein the means for rotating said revolving member comprises handle means attached near the top of said web member.

4. The capstan of claim 1 wherein each concave end surface flares substantially transversely to its surface substantially at the juncture of said end surface with said base member.

5. The capstan of claim I wherein a non-rotating guide means for guiding a line onto said web member extends beyond said base member and is positioned between said base member and said support.

6. The capstan of claim 1 wherein at least two sides are opposed concaved surfaces substantially narrower in width than the other sides.

7. The capstan of claim 6 wherein each concave end surface of said web member meets a disk-like base member near the perimeter of said base member.

8. The capstan of claim 6 wherein an elongated guide means is positioned between said revolving member and said support, said guide means comprising an elongated arm having a pulley at the end thereof, said pulley being canted slightly to guide a line onto said revolving member at a slight angle when a flat side of said web member transversely faces said elongated arm.

9. The capstan of claim 6 wherein two sides are substantially flat, elongated surfaces and two sides form narrow, concaved end surfaces.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the concave end surfaces have a longer curved surface below the narrowest portion of the web between said concave surfaces than the curved surface above said narrowest portion.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the concave surfaces have an upper surface described by an arc of a certain radius of curvature and a lower surface described by an arc of a radius of curvature greater than the radius for said upper portion. 

1. A capstan comprising: a. means for fastening a vertical revolving member to a support: b. a vertical revolving member comprising a circular base member; a thin web member projecting substantially perpendicularly from said base member, said web member having four sides wherein at least two sides are concave surfaces wherein four curved edges are sufficieNtly sharp to provide traction between said web and a line turned thereabout and wherein said concave surfaces are asymmetrical about any plane parallel to said base member; and c. means for rotating said revolving member.
 2. The capstan of claim 1 wherein the means for fastening a revolving member to a support comprises means for detachably supporting said capstan in a substantially vertical position.
 3. The capstan of claim 1 wherein the means for rotating said revolving member comprises handle means attached near the top of said web member.
 4. The capstan of claim 1 wherein each concave end surface flares substantially transversely to its surface substantially at the juncture of said end surface with said base member.
 5. The capstan of claim 1 wherein a non-rotating guide means for guiding a line onto said web member extends beyond said base member and is positioned between said base member and said support.
 6. The capstan of claim 1 wherein at least two sides are opposed concaved surfaces substantially narrower in width than the other sides.
 7. The capstan of claim 6 wherein each concave end surface of said web member meets a disk-like base member near the perimeter of said base member.
 8. The capstan of claim 6 wherein an elongated guide means is positioned between said revolving member and said support, said guide means comprising an elongated arm having a pulley at the end thereof, said pulley being canted slightly to guide a line onto said revolving member at a slight angle when a flat side of said web member transversely faces said elongated arm.
 9. The capstan of claim 6 wherein two sides are substantially flat, elongated surfaces and two sides form narrow, concaved end surfaces.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the concave end surfaces have a longer curved surface below the narrowest portion of the web between said concave surfaces than the curved surface above said narrowest portion.
 11. The device of claim 9 wherein the concave surfaces have an upper surface described by an arc of a certain radius of curvature and a lower surface described by an arc of a radius of curvature greater than the radius for said upper portion. 